Established 1961 13 Sports Monday, April 23, 2018 Kipchoge and Cheruiyot celebrate Kenyan double at Marathon

Mo Farah breaks British marathon record

LONDON: Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge FARAH ‘KNACKERED’ stormed to his third London Marathon title yesterday Farah was at the back of the lead group despite to complete an impressive Kenyan double after Vivian twice making a mess of picking up his water bottle at Cheruiyot beat the heat to win the women’s race. the designated drink stations. The British track great, Kipchoge, 33, saw off the challenge of Ethiopia’s Tola who won gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000m at the Shura Kitata and home favourite to win his past two Olympic Games, admitted his second full third race in the British capital in four years in a time of marathon had taken its toll in a race where there was a 2hrs 04min 17sec, finishing more than half a minute in world record pace at the halfway point. front of Kitata (2:04:49), with Farah third (2:06:21). “I am knackered,” said the 35-year-old, who broke Cheruiyot, 34, timed her run perfectly to win the the British marathon record. “The guys went for it, they women’s event in a time of were on for world record 2:18:31 ahead of compatriot pace, so it was do or die. I Brigid Kosgei (2:20:13), and went with it and hung in as Ethiopia’s Tadelech Bekele much as I could. (2:21:40). “It’s so different to the The race was the I didn’t want track. It’s incredible. It’s dif- warmest London Marathon ferent pain, different training on record, with a high of to race against but I’ve really enjoyed it. I 23.2 degrees Celsius (73.8 gave it all, 110 per cent as I degrees Fahrenheit), beat- anybody normally do.” Cheruiyot took ing the previous mark of advantage of failed attempts 22.7 degrees Celsius set in to break ’s 15- 1996. Kipchoge joined com- year-old world record by last patriot Martin Lel and year’s winner Mary Keitany Mexican Dionicio Ceron as the only men to win and runner-up Tirunesh Dibaba. London three times. In unusually warm conditions, first Dibaba and then LONDON: Elite men’s race winner Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge (L) and elite women’s race winner Kenya’s After previous victories in 2015 and 2016, the Keitany dropped off the pace, allowing the 2016 Vivian Cheruiyot pose during the trophy ceremony of the 2018 London Marathon in central London Kenyan took a ninth career win over 26.2 miles Olympic 5,000m gold medallist to claim victory. yesterday. — AFP (42.195km), but missed his two-year-old course After nine miles Keitany and main rival Dibaba were record. “I came to London to run a beautiful race and 25 seconds ahead of Radcliffe’s time. But Dibaba was today I ran a really beautiful race,” said Kipchoge. soon reduced to a walking pace to leave Keitany with be threatened. “The reason it was so good for me today race alone. So I raced like that.” Britain’s David Weir “Thank you, London.” only her two male pacemakers for company. was because I started slowly. I didn’t go with the faster won the men’s wheelchair race for the eighth time after The Kenyan led the way with Ethiopian great Keitany, looking for a fourth win in London, also group because the faster group was quicker than I was a thrilling sprint finish. The 38-year-old pipped Kenenisa Bekele and last year’s winner Daniel Wanjiru started to slow down as it became apparent Radcliffe’s at the start,” Cheruiyot told the BBC. Switzerland’s Marcel Hug into second place, with of Kenya also in the mix. record of two hours 15 minutes 25 seconds would not “I didn’t want to race against anybody, I wanted to Daniel Romanchuk of the United States third. — AFP

Boult’s jaw-dropping IPL catch leaves cricket world in awe NEW DELHI: Trent Boult left the bowling of Harshal Patel. cricket world stunned with his fielding “I think we could quite easily have brilliance after taking a sensational just seen the Greatest EVER catch,” catch hailed as the “greatest ever” dur- tweeted the former England captain ing an match. Michael Vaughan. Commentator and New Zealand’s Boult, playing for Delhi former England Test batsman David Daredevils in the lucrative Twenty20 Lloyd termed it a moment of “magic” tournament, leapt airborne on the deep while England and Rajasthan Royals square leg boundary to pouch one- all-rounder wrote on handed a shot by , skipper Twitter: “Don’t think you can even of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, describe that as a catch... that’s some- that appeared to be heading for six. thing different.” The wrong-handed diving effort by The match will also be remembered the left-arm paceman-completed just for AB de Villiers’ unbeaten 90 off 39 millimetres inside the boundary rope- balls that led Bangalore to a six- left Kohli in disbelief and sent social win at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The media into a frenzy. South African batsman hit 10 fours and “I was stunned when he took it, five sixes to pulverise the Delhi that’s a brilliant catch. It happens in the bowlers, for whom Boult returned fig- IPL especially,” Kohli said after his ures of 1-33. The IPL is now in its 11th team went on to win the match on season with 60 matches over 51 days. Saturday night. “Good to see. That’s a There is $8 million in prize money at catch when you look back, you don’t stake including $4 million for the win- BANGALORE: Delhi Daredevils fielder Trent Boult (C-L) celebrates with his teammates the catch dismissal of Royal Challengers batsman and feel bad about getting out,” Kohli ning team. The final takes place on May captain Virat Kohli for 30 runs during the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket match. — AFP added of his dismissal that came off the 27 in Mumbai. — AFP

point coming back-I was trained to fight for 12 rounds, I course for a bout with the winner of next month’s Khan beats Lo had to make some changes and Phil lo Greco is a danger- International Federation title fight between Lee ous opponent,” Khan told the BBC. “Enjoy my victory. Selby and Josh Warrington. Khan’s back. I was a little nervous, but I am back with a WBO champion Oscar Valdez could also lie in wait Greco in 39 big bang. I want to become a world champion this year for the 31-year-old Frampton, a former world title hold- or next year.” Khan, however, added: “I want to fight er at both super- and . Warriors join seconds on the best guys. If it means going up a division I will.” Prior to Saturday’s bout-which just carried on past As for a bout with Brook, Khan, most famous recent- midnight local time (2300 GMT) — Northern ’s Dragons at top ly for his ‘jungle’ appearance in the British television Frampton had rated Donaire, a seven-time world cham- British return show ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here’, said: “That pion across four separate weight classes, as the most LIVERPOOL: Amir Khan’s first bout in a British ring for fight is something I am not rushing and not running “accomplished fighter I have ever faced”. of NRL after win five years saw him knock out Canada’s Phil Lo Greco in away from. I will fight and beat Kell Brook. But the 35-year-old Filipino did not appear to be at SYDNEY: The New Zealand Warriors ended St George a mere 39 seconds on Saturday. The 31-year-old British Kell Brook has been living off my name for a long time. I his very best in , although he did rock Frampton Illawarra’s winning start to Australia’s National Rugby boxer had not fought anywhere for two years since am a stronger fighter, a better fighter. with several solid punches in the 11th round of 12. League season and joined the Dragons at the top of the being beaten by Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez in Las Vegas in “I’m not a fighter to run away.” But an unimpressed “Nonito Donaire was dangerous from start to finish. I standings with a 20-12 win in Auckland this weekend. May 2016. And the 2004 Olympic silver medallist wast- Brook said: “He doesn’t want the fight, he just ran off. stuck to the game plan and at times my boxing was The Warriors, missing Kiwi Test scrum-half Shaun ed little time in sending Lo Greco tumbling with a quick “Amir, all the fans want the fight, I want the fight, he can beautiful,” Frampton told BT Sport as he looked for- Johnson, saw off a Dragons second half comeback in one-two punch combination inside the opening 30 sec- go in the jungle and chase stars but when he gets in ward to having a world-title shot at Belfast’s Windsor registering a four-tries-to-two win. Warriors half onds. Khan then pinned Lo Greco to the ropes before there with me, I’ll make him see stars.” Park-best known as the home ground of Northern Mason Lino, promoted for the injured Johnson, put in the super-welterweight contest ended moments after it Meanwhile, delighted his Belfast home Ireland’s football team. “There is only one thing on my another outstanding performance in his second start of had started. crowd with a unanimous points win over fellow former mind at the moment-a world title fight at Windsor Park the season. Elsewhere, Melbourne Storm put their Victory left Khan on course for his long-awaited multiple world champion Nonito Donaire. All that was at and I can’t wait to get there.” Frampton, who split from rivals on notice that their title defence is back on track after beating the Broncos 34-20 in Brisbane. Storm showdown with British rival Kell Brook, who was among stake was the World Boxing Organisation’s interim promoter Barry McGuigan last year, before ditching stand-off Cameron Munster further pushed his claims featherweight belt, not a fully-fledged title. But by com- Shane McGuigan, Barry’s son, as his trainer, added: “In those watching at ringside on Saturday. “I have been out for Queensland State of Origin selection with a strong the ring for two years but I was still in the gym working ing out on top by a margin of 117-111 on all three judges’ the 11th round I was definitely hurt but I survived it and performance. hard, I have never taken a day off. I wanted to prove a scorecards, the 31-year-old Frampton kept himself on that’s what champions do. — AFP Storm Test fullback Billy Slater was in everything in a stunning two-try performance that would have had Queensland coach Kevin Walters licking his lips. The game.” Fly-half Sexton, the on-field tactical mastermind as underdogs and won, we’ve been favourites and lost...I South Sydney Rabbitohs put in their most dominant per- Sexton eyes European Ireland completed a Six Nations Grand Slam earlier this don’t think we’re that much better than Scarlets, we just formance of the season, hammering the Canberra season, added: “Racing were champions a couple of years took our chances.” Scarlets coach Wayne Pivac had no Raiders 42-22, but English Test star Sam Burgess poten- ago in France and Munster, if we play against Munster it complaints regarding a result that ended the west Wales tially faces yet another suspension. club triumph after will be a very special game for all of us. “Racing more so side’s hopes of a first appearance in European club rugby Returning from a two-week suspension, Burgess was for me than the rest of us. It’s going to be a tough game no union’s showpiece final in emphatic fashion. “Leinster immense against Canberra, running 203 metres with four Grand Slam glory matter who we play.” played very, very, well, as hard as it is to take, you have to offloads and six tackle busts and setting the tone for the It is likely to be tougher than Saturday’s semi-final, say they were very good,” conceded Pivac, long touted to win.However a 59th-minute high tackle on Aidan Sezer saw him placed on the referee’s report. Another suspen- : Johnny Sexton was all smiles as he refused to where Leinster dismantled a Scarlets side who headed succeed fellow New Zealander Warren Gatland as coach across from Wales buoyed by having beaten the same of Wales. sion potentially beckons, with the weight of two prior say which side he’d prefer to face in next month’s incidents already this year likely to count against him at Champions Cup final after helping Leinster book their opponents in last season’s Pro 12 semi-final in Dublin. This “They were the better side, it was a mix of how well time around, three-times European champions Leinster they played and how well we didn’t play,” he added. Both the judiciary. place in the Bilbao showdown with a thumping defeat of The Sydney Roosters ground their way to a 6-0 win Scarlets at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. Munster, ruthlessly dominated from start to finish. Pivac and Scarlets captain Ken Owens were impressed by “I said on Friday that we’d find out in the game if we Leinster’s clinical game-plan. over Canterbury and did so without captain Jake Friend, Leinster’s bitter Irish rivals, face French club Racing 92 who was concussed in making an attempted tackle. Sexton’s former side-in Sunday’s second semi-final in learnt from last year’s defeat, and we did,” said Sexton, “They were very direct, they looked after the ball in one of five Leinster try-scorers on Saturday that also contact, and once they were into our 22 they were very Shaun Kenny-Dowall went from villain to hero as the Bordeaux. But the Leinster captain, who scored 18 of the Newcastle Knights pulled off a stunning 22-20 victory Irish province’s points in a resounding 38-16 win over included former Wallaby back-row Scott Fardy. clinical,” Pivac said. “In the game of feet and inches, they “We looked like a different team to the one that played won.” Wales hooker Owens added: “They are one of, if not over the fourth-placed Wests Tigers. But the win could Scarlets, jokingly dismissed the enquiry. “Do you expect come at the cost of star scrum-half recruit Mitchell in that semi-final last year,” the Ireland playmaker added. the best side around at executing a game plan. You could me to answer that?” he replied, with a laugh. “I’ll just give Pearce suffering a pectoral injury that could see him “We are, in many ways-a lot of players who didn’t play see they learnt lessons from the defeat last year...they whoever (qualifies] a team talk now! They’re both quality sidelined for months. — AFP teams, no matter who plays it’s going to be a very tough last year made a big difference today.” “We’ve been dominated the game pretty much. — AFP